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Get StartedPreparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffDepending on the severity of the injury, your family doctor or the emergency room physician may recommend that you or your child be examined by an orthopedic surgeon.
What you can do
You may want to write a list that includes:
- Detailed descriptions of the symptoms and the precipitating event
- Information about past medical problems
- All the medications and dietary supplements you or your child takes
- Questions you want to ask the doctor
What to expect from your doctor
During the physical exam, your doctor will inspect the affected area for tenderness, swelling or deformity. He or she will probably want to see X-rays of the injury.
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- Ronai P. Exercise and shoulder pain. American College of Sports Medicine. http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Current_Comments1&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11050. Accessed July 14, 2009.
- Uehara DT, et al. Injuries to the shoulder complex and humerus. In: Tintinalli JE, et al. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2004. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=612479. Accessed July 14, 2009.
- Wang RY, et al. Management of the first-time shoulder dislocation in the athlete. In: Wilk KE, et al. The Athlete's Shoulder. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06701-3..50023-2&uniq=149671531&isbn=978-0-443-06701-3&sid=862689477#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06701-3..50023-2%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-443-06701-3. Accessed July 14, 2009.
- Dodson CC, et al. Anterior glenohumeral joint dislocations. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. 2008;39:507.
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- Questions and answers about shoulder problems. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Shoulder_Problems/default.asp. Accessed July 14, 2009.